Quest 50 | ONC 2024 HONORABLE MENTION ✨️✨️

Four:

I stared up at the morning sun as I slid down against the dirty front window of Pam's Pharmacy. My heart pounded but slowly. Each beat was Thor's hammer hitting my rib cage. When I breathed in, I wheezed.

Damon slammed his hands against the glass and grunted. "There has to be a backdoor."

I glanced up at him. With his hands cupped around his eyes, he peered inside and then sidestepped over to the front door. He tried to open it, but nothing. Locked. "I'm checking the back," he hissed.

He extended his hand to me and wiggled his fingers. "Come on, we're going to the back."

I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "Just get me Tylenol," I whispered.

"No." He put a hand under my arm, gently raising me to my feet. When his arm wrapped around my shoulder, I leaned into him. My ear nestled over his heartbeat, and I fell into the sound. The rhythm of his strength and his life slid into me. I sighed and turned. In response, as if he knew I needed it, he held me tightly.

"You had painkillers at your house. You know you need something stronger." Pulling away from me, he softly cupped my face and looked into my eyes. "We're going to raid the shelves. Nina, you know what you need, so you're going to take it."

I frowned. "What if they don't have it?"

"We'll find another pharmacy." Damon's hand slid down to mine, and he held me with care. Our fingers linked as he guided me around the shop. We walked through the empty alley, gingerly kicking the littered cans and crumbled newspapers to not attract attention. But when a silver door with a sign that read "Employees Only," appeared beside the large garbage, relief came over me.

"Let's go!" Damon said. We couldn't get inside fast enough.

We were lucky that the back door opened with ease. We stepped into the shadows of the empty pharmacy and headed straight for the brightest lights on the far-left side. "Pick up here," called to us both as if the sign was made just for us.

Rounding the looted aisles, Damon kicked away boxes and packs of food to reach the medicine desk. He hopped that counter in motion. Not wasting time, he ran his hands over the bags of bottled pills. He read them, then he looked at me. "What am I looking for?"

"Steroids," I answered as I reached the counter and leaned against it.

He blinked. "Do they look a special way or-"

"Steroids come in a silver pack."

His brows show up. As he rummaged through the shelves of different medications, he smirked and shook his head. "And you wanted the regular stuff." He stopped at one of the pouches and read it closely. This was the first one he didn't put back. Holding it against his chest, he looked at me with a weak smile. "Nothing regular for you. If these will get you better, you're going to take these. I'm not letting you give up tonight."

I lifted my head as I met his gaze with my own. "I-"

Damon hopped back over the counter. When he landed beside me, I caught the scent of his soap, still lingering on his skin from his early morning shower. It calmed me enough that I giggled.

"Nina," Damon touched my cheek as he came closer, "let's get some food so you can take these. Whatever boss they have planned for us won't see you coming."

Me. Won't see 'me' coming.

***

That night, when we logged back into the aliens' game, I looked at the dreary environment. The number of creatures had increased. The clouds in the sky darkened and a storm brewed in the distance. White strikes of lightning hit the ground beside the mountains. I balled my hands into fists and waited.